Baby girl found in recycling plant gets emotional send-off

Nine days after the harrowing discovery of her body at a recycling plant - baby 'Alannah' was given an emotional send-off.

The body of the baby was ­discovered by a member of Greenstar recycling at their plant in Bray on May 4. The circumstances of the baby's death remain inconclusive, while the location of her mother is still unknown.

Sad

Almost 100 people from the Greystones area, including staff from the recycling company and gardai, attended her funeral and her burial at Redford Cemetery, Greystones. One mourner said: "No one will ever know the circumstances of it all - that's incredibly sad".

A large number of mourners from the recycling company were still visibly in shock at the tragic circumstances.

The baby's little white coffin was so small it could almost be carried by one person.

The prayers were short, with Rev Alan Breen telling the Herald he hoped there was now peace for both Alannah and her parents.

"It's tragic. How do you feel when something like this happens?" he said.

"Your heart goes out to the child, your heart goes out to the family. Everybody has been touched by this story and everybody is heartbroken for Alannah and for whatever led her to this circumstance.

When the short service ended, four staff members from Greenstar stepped forward to lower the child's coffin into her grave - all visibly shaken by the moment.

Atop of the grave, they left a wreath with a short note. "You're up in heaven with the angels now, a perfect little star, and when you shine, the world will see how beautiful you are," it read.

Released

A single white dove was then released into the Wicklow skies in tribute to the tragic infant.

Bray Garda Station Superintendent Pat Ward said he hoped the funeral brought comfort to the baby's grieving family.

"We got a lot of calls from people in the community who were asking about it and we wanted to do something to bring some closure," he said.